Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the defending champions, have suffered a significant mid-season blow as explosive England opener Phil Salt has flown back to the UK for scans on a finger injury. The 29-year-old Salt sustained a finger injury on his left hand that has already kept him out of action for the RCB’s last three matches in the ongoing IPL 2026 season.
Notably, RCB have not revealed the nature of Salt’s injury publicly. However, as per ESPNcricinfo report, Salt damaged a finger on his left hand while diving to save a boundary at deep backward square leg in the sixth over of the second innings during their defeat at home to Delhi Capitals (DC) on April 18.
The report further mentioned that the 29-year-old England international, who is centrally contracted by the ECB, returned home at the request of England’s management. He has already undergone scans, and results are expected to determine the extent of the damage and his availability.
Strong Start For Salt In IPL 2026 Before Injury
Phil Salt had made a flying start to his IPL 2026 campaign with RCB, scoring 202 runs in six innings at a blistering strike rate of 168.33, including a notable 78 off 36 balls. His aggressive batting at the top of the order, often partnering with Virat Kohli, provided RCB with explosive starts and was a key factor in their title defence efforts.
In his absence, England teammate Jacob Bethell has stepped up to open the batting and is likely to continue in that role for the foreseeable future. Notably, Bethell has yet to make a significant impact in IPL 2026, having scored just 39 runs in three innings.
RCB Hopeful Of Salt’s Return
Both RCB and Phil Salt remain optimistic about a recovery. The franchise expects him to potentially rejoin the squad for the latter stages of IPL 2026 if the scans show no major damage and the finger heals quickly.
Notably, RCB has not issued an official statement on the injury’s severity, but the decision to send Salt home highlights a cautious approach.
The Bengaluru-based franchise would be allowed to bring in a replacement for Salt under IPL rules if his injury is confirmed as season-ending, but the franchise is likely to give him every chance to recover first.
Impact On RCB’s Playoffs Hope
The injury to Phil Salt comes at a crucial time in the tournament as defending champions RCB will miss his firepower in the middle phase of the IPL 2026 league stage.
Despite the injury cloud, RCB remains in a strong position, currently sitting second on the IPL 2026 points table behind the Punjab Kings. The team is coming off a six-day break, which included a brief “recharge” trip to the Maldives for several players following their recent loss to the Gujarat Titans.
RCB, the defending champions will next face the Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on Thursday, May 7.
